


i know places

by chatsdelune (greymooses)



Series: 30 days of svt [20]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: 30 Days of Writing, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, First Dates, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Running Away, Xu Ming Hao | The8 is Whipped, as usual i have a comma problem, damn you minghao, entirely minghao's pov, i can't believe i'm using this tag AGAIN:, too much flowery bullshit about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27238318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greymooses/pseuds/chatsdelune
Summary: "what's stopping you from leaving, then?" junhui asks seriously, like he's truly interested, like he cares about more than securing his parents' financial future. it's the longest he's gone without making a joke all night.minghao thinks it over. he has an answer, but he rolls the words around in his head anyway before eventually saying them. "i guess i hope i can find someone to run away with.""definitely a romantic," junhui replies, without missing a beat. "so, where are you taking me?"
Relationships: Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Series: 30 days of svt [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949296
Comments: 10
Kudos: 117





	i know places

**Author's Note:**

> this is very unrealistic in the sense that, you know, gay arranged marriages are pretty rare and, like, visas are a thing that take time to get. time moves in a jeremy bearimy or smth. basically suspension of disbelief about more technical details is a thing. also: WHY DO I KEEP WRITING PROPOSAL FICS.
> 
> are [these](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ed/6b/08/ed6b08be6db2753466ab4afdbc8c2690.jpg) [pictures](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e9/61/47/e9614798d420d49d73cf00b05578a703.jpg) taken in questionable areas? perhaps. is that totally them when they chose to run away? absolutely. title is blatantly ripped off from the song of the same name, bc taylor has a song for literally everything.
> 
> prompt: “So our parents are kinda forcing us into this marriage wanna run away with me so we don’t have to deal with them anymore?”

if there's one thing minghao is thankful for, it's that his parents aren't trying to force him to marry a woman. at least they respect him that much. still, he could do without being constantly set up on dates with sons of his father's business associates, or sons of their friends — anything to get a foot in the door of their companies and finagle an acquisition to contribute to the xu empire.

not that he's not thankful for said empire, or the trust fund that comes with it, but he never asked for _this._

the man sitting across from him, though, makes him think his mother was particularly involved in this selection, because wen junhui is tall and as equally noodle-shaped as minghao and overall handsome, even if he looks uncomfortable in a suit.

he doesn't want to think about the implications of his mother picking a man he finds incredibly attractive, but facts are facts.

"what does your father do?" junhui asks, seemingly out of nowhere, while minghao is looking over the wine list.

"he's a very high-level executive at a technology company. surprised you were unaware."

"oh, _that_ one."

" _that one_?"

"i've been on ten of these this week."

"that's more dinners than there are days," minghao says, confused.

"lunch dates."

"i see. you have my sympathies."

"thanks, i think." junhui nods his head towards the wine list in minghao's hands. "mind choosing a white, too?"

"how do you know i'm looking at reds?"

"aren't you?"

minghao eyes him suspiciously. "yes."

junhui just winks at him, then goes back to perusing his menu.

to minghao's surprise, they kind of hit it off after that. not because junhui's personality meshes with his — it really doesn't — but in spite of it. he's just absurd enough to catch minghao off guard and make him laugh, even if the reason is abject horror at the shit he says without thinking twice.

the bottom line is his parents clearly didn't do their due diligence with this one, and minghao likes him more because of it.

at the end of dinner, near the valet stand, minghao tells junhui he'd like to see him again. he seems surprised — and weirdly shy about it — but he agrees.

***

after a plethora of rejections, it would be an understatement to say minghao's parents are pleased about his willingness to see junhui again. he can practically see his father drawing up the acquisition contracts in his head at the dinner table.

"please don't start planning anything," minghao sighs, draping his cloth napkin over his lap. "i agreed to see him again, that's all."

"your father and i were married after meeting once with our families in the room, dear."

he fiddles with his silverware. "last i checked, i wasn't either of you, and it's not thirty years ago."

"his father is the ceo of an entertainment company, minghao," his father informs him, like he's still unaware of this despite all the times it's been mentioned, though never by junhui. "it would be an exceptional way to expand our brand."

"i understand that. i'm just asking for a few more hours with him, not a few years."

their faces are pinched and hesitant, like he's asking for the damn moon. they exchange a glance, and his mother finally nods. "i'll contact his mother after dinner and arrange something."

minghao resists the urge to roll his eyes, because of course they'd never let him contact junhui directly. that would be improper, and not involve them knowing about his every move before he does. regardless, the pressure is lessened for now — he probably won't have to go on any other dates for the time being — and he gets to see junhui again, so it's a win in his book.

***

their second date is "a bit more casual," his mother says, and consists of more dinner — at a slightly less expensive restaurant — and two hours at a museum, closed to everyone except them. minghao would be happy with pizza and a movie, but he'd be naive to think his parents would approve. at least he's allowed to wear something other than a suit.

the same goes for junhui, who exits his house and comes to the car in a simple black sweater over a collared shirt. he looks infinitely more comfortable than he did when they met, and somehow more attractive. minghao is a bit surprised that's even possible.

dinner is more subdued, as if the fancier the environment, the more chaotic junhui is prone to behave. minghao orders a white wine without junhui asking, and receives a very out-of-place thumbs up in return.

afterwards, they stroll together through museum halls, each with their hands clasped in front of themselves, until junhui spots a collection of ancient chinese weapons. he grabs minghao's elbow and drags him towards it. the man has _zero_ sense of decorum. minghao keeps up anyway.

***

"we should get ice cream," junhui suggests, interrupting the silence on the way to the car.

"ice cream," minghao repeats.

"please don't tell me you don't like ice cream, because that might be a deal breaker for me."

"it's late, junhui. and october."

he grins. "i know a place."

minghao checks his watch. they don't really have time, are supposed to be back in twenty minutes, but they're also adults and he's feeling just rebellious enough to do it anyway.

he sighs, and asks, "where are we going?"

junhui hooks his arm around minghao's and grins at him. "it's only five minutes away."

***

the place is small and deserted, but still open for some reason that minghao isn't going to question. he's finished his and is waiting, leaned back against the side of their booth, glancing subtly between his phone and junhui's face. there's ice cream on his nose. minghao can't conceive of how it got there in the first place, or how he hasn't noticed, but he _does_ notice the slow smile that appears on minghao's face.

he squints in minghao's direction. "what are you smirking about?"

"you have ice cream on your nose."

"oh, i know."

"you know?"

junhui makes a noise of confirmation, probably because his mouth is occupied with the frankly obscene way he's dragging his tongue around his cone.

"you're ridiculous."

"you wanted to go out again, so i don't think i'm the only ridiculous one here."

"that's fair," minghao concedes. the ice cream is driving him insane. he leans into the table and crooks a finger. junhui grins at him as he sits forward and he realizes his date totally did this on purpose and he fell right into the damn trap, but he wipes his nose with his thumb anyway.

junhui looks entirely too smug for someone who used such a childish ploy.

minghao is entirely too fond of someone he's only spent like five hours with.

***

it's in the car, taking junhui home, that minghao realizes the bubble they've been in since dinner is going to be broken by their parents debriefing them.

junhui seems to sense his mood crashing and puts his hand over minghao's on the gearshift, asks, "you okay?"

minghao figures whatever, might as well enjoy the bubble while it lasts, and threads his fingers in between junhui's. "i loved tonight. and i remembered my parents are going to expect every detail when i get home, especially because we're later than our mothers agreed we should be."

"ah, yes, the 'so are you ready to get married next week?' conversation."

"you've had it, too, huh?"

"so many times," junhui laughs. "i wouldn't mind them asking how things went and wanting general updates, you know?" — minghao nods. — "but i can't imagine anyone wanting it to happen like our parents want it to. you're picking my dates, at least let me worry about my wedding if i find someone i like."

"yeah. maybe i'm a romantic, but i'd at least like the decision to get married to not require a fucking family meeting."

"exactly."

they're silent for a bit, occasional headlights illuminating junhui's profile enough that minghao has to glance over to look at it. "sometimes i think about leaving all of this," he sighs.

"wouldn't you lose the trust fund?"

minghao shakes his head. "inheritance from my grandfather. dad got the business, i got most of his other stocks and liquid assets. he designed it so my parents can't touch it."

"sounds like a smart guy."

"we were close. he wanted to make sure my parents could never cut me off."

"what's stopping you from leaving, then?" junhui asks seriously, like he's truly interested, like he cares about more than securing his parents' financial future. it's the longest he's gone without making a joke all night.

minghao thinks it over. he has an answer, but he rolls the words around in his head anyway before eventually saying them. "i guess i hope i can find someone to run away with."

"definitely a romantic," junhui replies, without missing a beat. "so, where are you taking me?" it sounds flippant, but minghao suspects it's just his way of lightening the conversation again, of dragging minghao out of his head.

"i never offered to take you anywhere," minghao argues — for sport, because if he's honest with himself, he'd be happy to go to the airport with this man right now if they didn't need their passports.

"you were thinking about it," junhui says, self-assured.

it's like a damn game of chicken. minghao is pulling into junhui's driveway and the tension crackles. junhui tries to remove his hand, but minghao holds onto his fingers and puts the car in park before twisting his hand to hold junhui's properly. he twists himself, too, and crooks a finger like he did at the ice cream place. junhui smiles and leans forward, lets minghao make the first move but squeezes his hand and definitely kisses him back.

it's not a lot, not heat and passion, but quiet and nice. minghao didn't know junhui was capable. when they break apart, neither one of them actually goes far. minghao whispers "run away with me" into the space between them.

junhui answers him with a brief laugh, a hand on the back of his neck, and another kiss.

***

on their third date, they settle on switzerland, at least for the ninety days their visas will allow. minghao figures if they can survive ninety days together, everything will be fine; suspects that he might be head over heels for junhui and propose before they go home — a proposal of his own creation, one junhui deserves, without their families turning it into a business transaction.

***

he does, a month later, in their rented chalet in the alps, on a sofa in front of a fireplace, while he's reading and junhui is in the middle of yelling at a scary movie he insisted on watching even though he hates them.

junhui looks at him, surprise quickly turning to a cocky grin, and shrugs, says, "yeah, why not?"

at the end of the day, it's not elaborate. their parents would've thrown a whole dinner, started talking about venues while he and junhui sat there silently. no, it's not elaborate, it's not even planned, but minghao thinks there's something poetic about it anyway, in the dichotomy between their default states but how they've managed to peacefully coexist for a month, how junhui gives him a reason to laugh but lets minghao pull him back down to earth.

minghao sets his book aside and removes his glasses. he nudges junhui to the other end of the sofa and sprawls out, resting his head in junhui's lap, and falls asleep to the sound of him continuing to protest everything happening on screen.

**Author's Note:**

> is this slightly ooc idk anymore minghao gave me no control over any of it. reading through again i realize the ending is kind of rushed so i'm sorry about that.
> 
> as mentioned a couple fics ago, i think i'm going to take a teeny tiny break. i have a halloween prompt (jigyu, i think, bc i'm me) that i want to post, but don't think there will be anything before then? then maybe a couple more days off, but there will totally be 30 of these things bc i already have all the prompts. who knows what characters are going to do, though. might be back anyway lakjdlakdf.
> 
> thanks for coming etc. <3


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